OTTAWA— Devils general manager Lou Lamoriello said Thursday he isn't worried about his own job despite the fact the team has missed the playoffs three of the last four seasons.

"I don't think about those things," Lamoriello told The Star-Ledger. "That's for other people to think about. That's just not my way of thinking."

In fact, Lamoriello said he'd be willing to see the Devils finish out of the money 75 percent of the time if it meant getting to the Stanley Cup Finals once every four years, as they did in 2012.

"I'll look at a positive. If you can say one out of every four years you'd be in the Stanley Cup Finals, would you take it?" Lamoriello asked. "Approach it from a positive standpoint. We're here to win the Stanley Cup. We're here to win, not to just get into the playoffs.

"You can (take) that answer any way you want about three out of four years (missing) the playoffs. If it means missing the playoffs to do certain things to win the Stanley Cup, then that's what it means. That's mediocrity just getting to the playoffs."

Responding to suggestions from players like Martin Brodeur that the Devils have settled for being a .500 team in recent seasons-- hanging around a pack of contenders before making a playoff push-- Lamoriello said that isn't acceptable.

He said what he respects most about owners Josh Harris and David Blitzer is their desire to win a Cup, not just reach the playoffs.

"I can assure you .500 isn't okay," Lamoriello said. "I can assure you that it's not acceptable, but words are cheap. The stability of this organization is there right now. Mediocrity is not something that is acceptable to them. And that's probably what I like and respect the most about the owners."

Lamoriello doesn't think the "hang around and hope to get in" attitude hasn't pervaded the dressing room.

"I sure as hell hope not. 'We'll just hang around and get in?'," he said, sounding baffled by the concept.

As for Pete DeBoer, Lamoriello continued to back the coach and his staff.

"I don't get into any discussions about any personnel at all. We have three games left," Lamoriello said. "But I've said all along the coaches have done a good job of holding together throughout adversity. I'm not getting into anything else."

Lamoriello said he followed Wednesday night's Blue Jackets and Red Wings games. When Detroit got a point in a shootout loss to Pittsburgh and Columbus defeated Dallas, the Devils were mathematically eliminated.

"It's certainly not a good feeling," the GM said. "Right now we have three games to play and we're going to focus in on these games and then take a step back and look at everything."

What does he expect from the Devils in the last three games?

"I totally believe they're going to come out and play the way they've been playing for the last 10 games," he said. "There is a lot of pride in that locker room. There is a lot of character. We came up short."

He dismissed the idea that the conference is so tight, missing the playoffs can be expected in some seasons.

"You can't allow (the margin) to be that small," Lamoriello said. "We allowed that from the early part of the year and that gives you no margin for error. In this league you have to put streaks together to overcome that margin of error. We haven't done that.

We're expected to win and we expect that of ourselves. So anything less than that..."

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Patrik Elias (head injury) said he expects to play Thursday night against the Senators.

As for the team's other injured players, Lamoriello said missing the playoff will not have a impact.

"If they're healthy they will play," Lamoriello said. "Simple at that. If they're hurt they will play. If they're injured they won't play."

He also indicated the Devils will send some players to Albany (AHL) to help that club make a playoff push.

"We've got the lineup tonight and we'll make decisions after tonight as far as the health of other people we have," Lamoriello said. "They will get back as soon as I can get them back. We need players here, too."